Jewish Revolt

Historical Overview Section

The initial Jewish Revolt (or, sometimes Jewish-Roman War) began in 66AD, following Greek-Jewish religious tension, which the Greek-speaking Roman garrison did not quell. THe jewish communit yresponded by ceasing prayers and sacrifices for the Roman Emperor at the Temple, which escalated to a (successful) attack on the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. The pro-Roman king Agrippa II fled to Galilee, and an attempt by the legate of Syria to restore order failed after a defeat at the Battle of Beth Horon. While retreating, Legio XII Fulminata even lost its aquila, a sign of great shame and indicative of the scale of the defeat. Following this shambles, Nero appointed Vespasian to crush the rebellion, and with several legions including X Fretensis and V Macedonica his 60,000 professional soldiers methodically cleared the coast and the North and by 68AD Jewish resistance in the North had been crushed.

The collapse of resistance in the north was not well received by the Zealots and Sicarii, who executed anyone advocating surrender in a brutal intra-Jewish war. After the death of Nero Vespasian became emperor in 69AD, and Titus Flavius (his son) prosecuted the war, taking Jersualem after a long siege in 70AD, and the last Jewish stronghold, Masada, in the autumn of 73. According to Josephus accounts of the conflict, when the Romans finally broke through the walls of Masada they discovered that the 967 defenders had all committed suicide, preferring death over defeat.

After this revolt the Romans were a lot more careful, and installed a military praetor as a governor backed up by an entire legion, the X Fretensis. But this careful attitude didn't supress Jewish anger at the actions of Hadrian who decided to rebuild Jerusalem, the Jewish holiest city, as a Roman metropolis with a temple to Jupiter to be built on one of the Jewish Holy Places. A carefully revolt erupted in 132, led by Bar Kokhba (hence the bar-Kochba Revolt - doh!) which quickly spread across the country, cutting off the Roman garrison in Jerusalem and establishing a de-factor autonomous state for the next 2-3 years. The outbreak took the Romans by surprise. Hadrian of course could not let this lie, and called back Sextus Julius Severus from his wars against the Ancient British, and assembled forces from all fronts to create an army far much larger than that commanded by Titus sixty years earlier. Even so, Roman losses were very heavy and possibly an entire legion, the XXII Deiotariana was completely wiped out in bitter fighting which included many sieges. Finally, the revolt was crushed in the summer of 135.

Using the army in FoG

Sort of a Catalan Company or Dailami army, but earlier, this superior MF force relies on superiority to help it in passing the -1 afflicted cohesion tests that inevitably will come from losing to HF or mounted in the open.

Selecting the army is a process of having as many Zealot foot as you can afford (probably in BGs of 6 to maximise army size but maintain maneuverability) backed up with enough LF and others to boost the break point of the army.

Definitely one for as much rough terrain as possible - which may mean a slightly redundant IC to try and get terrain choice

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